The state department denied the request from Tradebe Environmental Services LLC to open a waste management site on North Mill Road in Vineland.

“It was clear city officials did not want it. This was never about forcing the city to accept something they didn’t want,” said Bob Considine, spokesman for the DEP.

According to the letters sent to the city and Tradebe on Tuesday signed by DEP Assistant Commissioner Wolfgang Skacel, the decision was made after lengthy discussions between the department, the city, Tradebe and the Environmental Protection Agency.

“I’m glad that the DEP has listened to our concerns and appeals to stop this from happening,” said Anthony Fanucci, city council president. “I’m very appreciative of that.”

For the past few months, Vineland officials have been vocal about their opposition to a waste management company, which was previously operated by Pure Earth Inc.

When Pure Earth vacated the site in February 2011, they left behind dangerous chemicals, hundreds of thousands of gallons of used oil, hundreds of 55-gallon drums of unknown chemicals and 70,000 tons of contaminated soil.

The EPA has been at the site since July cleaning up the pollution and waste left at the facility.

Now that the DEP has denied Tradebe an Administrative Consent order that would have transferred existing environmental permits to the company, the responsibility of clean up will continue with the EPA.

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"We will continue to stay engaged with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the NJ DEP to ensure that all existing contamination is identified and removed," said Mayor Ruben Bermudez.

"We will not be satisfied until the site has been fully cleaned and we can return it to the city tax rolls."

The EPA has been at the site cleaning since last July, according to spokesman John Martin, with the project so far costing $1.1 million.

Martin explained that there are plans to ship out the used oil and chemicals. The agency may also possibly address the stockpiled contaminated soil.

“The City of Vineland would prefer to have the EPA continue with their efforts to clean up remaining contamination at the former Pure Earth Facility,” read Skacel’s letter to Tradebe.

Tradebe could not be reached for comment.

Aside from the pollution, part of the city’s concern lies with having waste management adjacent food processing plants in the industrial park.

“It’s nice to know that the department is listening to the people in the surrounding community,” said Fran Reilly, executive director of the CEO Group, a non-profit organization made of business leaders.

Representatives Eatem Foods, Mamacita Inc., Casa Di Bertacchi and J & D Produce, which as all in the vicinity of the site, are members of the CEO Group.

“We are very pleased at the DEP’s responsiveness and protection of the North Vineland community,” Reilly said.